The present invention relates to a hoist for rearranging a plurality of projectiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hoist for transferring a plurality of projectiles from one pallet to a different pallet, storage rack, or magazine.
The use of a hoist for moving heavy objects is well known in the prior art. However, such hoists are often difficult to load and unload. Complex mechanisms are sometimes required for securing the object or objects to the hoist. Finally, extra steps and/or complex mechanisms may be required to prevent banging if a plurality of articles are carried by the hoist.
The limitations of prior art hoists, such as conventional platform hoists, is especially evident when attempting to move a plurality of elongated articles from one pallet to another pallet or from one storage rack to another storage rack. Usually such articles must be moved one at a time from the first pallet to the top of a platform on the hoist. The hoist may then be moved adjacent the second pallet. The elongated articles, such as projectiles may then be moved one at a time from the platform of the hoist to positions on or within the second pallet or rack. One may readily appreciate the time consuming nature of these series of steps.
The time consuming nature of transferring projectiles from one pallet or rack to another pallet or rack by most prior art hoists is especially disadvantageous because of the absolute need to keep troops supplied with projectiles during war. Even if the transfer of projectiles from a first pallet or rack to the second pallet or rack is not made under battlefield conditions, speed of transfer is extremely important in light of the possibly devastating consequences if the troops at the front lines run short of projectiles. When the transfer of projectiles must be made under battlefield conditions, speed is even more important. Additionally, battlefield conditions require that the hoist be durable and easily movable from one position to another.
U.S Pat. No. 4,381,164 issued on Apr. 26, 1983 to Richard A. Koster and James S. Hoffman and entitled "Ammunition Transfer Sling and Method of Using", and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, provides a partial solution to many of the problems outlined above. In particular, this patent discloses a hoist having a lower guide plate slidably mounted to an upper support plate. The lower guide plate includes a plurality of holes which are used to rearrange or group a plurality of projectiles. A plurality of hooks are linked by a chain link or short cable to the lower surface of the upper support plate. The guide plate is positioned such that a number of projectiles extend through the holes and then are attached to the hooks with the upper support plate relatively close to the lower guide plate. The upper support plate is lifted relative to the lower guide plate followed by lifting both the upper support plate and lower guide plate together such that the projectiles will be arranged having a center to center distance corresponding to the center to center distance in the array of holes in the guide plate.
Although the grouping head hoist in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,164 is quite useful, it has a number of limitations in operation. For example, the projectiles must be arranged in a relatively close group in order to allow use of this grouping head hoist. If projectiles have been knocked down or are otherwise in disarray, they must be lined up relatively evenly in order to allow the grouping head hoist to be properly used to more precisely group or arrange the projectiles. Additionally, the grouping head hoist of that patent requires a device to lift the grouping head hoist itself. In other words, the hoist must rely upon external means to lift it sufficiently in order to rearrange the projectiles.
Although the securing and unsecuring of the hooks to the projectiles in the Koster et al patent is relatively straightforward, it may be time consuming and/or awkward to secure or unsecure these hooks depending upon the configuration of the projectiles which are to be secured or unsecured to the hooks. Also, unbalanced loads (i.e., projectiles secured at one end only) may tend to tilt the hoist of Koster et al and make it difficult to properly position.
As used herein, the word "projectile" shall include any elongate type of military ammunition such as bombs, torpedoes, shells, self-propelled projectiles (i.e., rockets), bullets, and the like.